Prelims 2014 · archive
EasyConsider the following international agreements:
- 1.The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
- 2.The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
- 3.The World Heritage Convention
Which of the above has/have a bearing on the biodiversity?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
All three agreements bear on biodiversity. The Plant Treaty conserves crop genetic diversity. The UNCCD requires sustainable management of biological diversity in drylands. The World Heritage Convention links nature conservation with heritage protection.
- ✓ 1. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (FAO) deals with the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. This is agricultural biodiversity.
- ✓ 2. The UNCCD text lists biological diversity among the natural resources to be managed sustainably. It also asks for coordination with the Convention on Biological Diversity, and healthy land supports biodiversity.
- ✓ 3. The 1972 World Heritage Convention covers natural as well as cultural heritage, linking nature conservation with the preservation of cultural properties. Natural sites protect habitats and species, so it bears on biodiversity.
- ✗ a/b/c Options (a), (b) and (c) each leave out at least one of the three agreements. Each of the three has a real link to biodiversity, so all must be included.
Remember · Biodiversity-relevant treaties include more than the CBD: the Plant Treaty (agrobiodiversity), UNCCD (land and drylands) and the World Heritage Convention (natural sites) all bear on it.
Sources
- FAO – International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Overview ↗ “The conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture are key to ensuring that the world will produce enough food to feed its growing population in the future.”
- UNCCD – Convention text ↗ “ensuring integrated and sustainable management of natural resources, including: - agricultural land and pastoral land; - vegetation cover and wildlife; - forests; - water resources; and - biological diversity”
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre – The World Heritage Convention ↗ “a unique international treaty linking for the first time the concepts of nature conservation and preservation of cultural properties”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2014, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·